1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to a manual support apparatus and, more particularly, to a manual support apparatus to assist user's in transferring into and out of bed, as well as with in-bed mobility.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Transferring into and out of bed, as well as maneuvering in bed, may be a difficult process for some elderly or disabled persons.
Typical beds provide little or no additional manual support to assist people to gain their balance while transferring into or out of bed, or help them to adjust their in-bed posture. Particularly at risk of falling, are acute or chronic term patients, in the home environment, which require assistance maneuvering into and about a bed. These patients generally require a secure and stable method to transfer into and out of bed independently. A wheelchair user, for example, may find it difficult to transfer into and out of bed without assistance. It would be useful, therefore, to provide an apparatus for manual support.
While various home care and hospital beds have been available in the prior art, these beds are generally expensive. In addition, these beds generally provide only full side rails which are raised to prevent patients from falling out of bed. These side rails do not assist the user in transferring into or out of bed. Furthermore, a patient may require additional support for only a temporary period and, therefore, would not require a new bed if an existing bed can be modified.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an apparatus attachable to a bed which provides a secure and stable method to transfer into and out of bed independently, and improve in-bed mobility. A further object of the invention is to provide a manual support apparatus, which can be easily assembled and disassembled, as well as quickly installed on any side of a bed.